Anya Taylor-Joy forms part of Lionel Messi’s celebrity fan club, with the Furiosa and Peaky Blinders actor hoping to meet with the Inter Miami icon.

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Global title captured in QatarHollywood star among those tuning inAll-time great worshipped in his homelandWHAT HAPPENED?

Taylor-Joy was born in Florida, where eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi is currently plying his club trade, but is of Argentine descent and spent part of her childhood in Buenos Aires. She has come a long way from humble beginnings, much like the sporting superstar that enjoys hero worship in his homeland.

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Messi completed his medal collection in 2022 when inspiring Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar, and Taylor-Joy was among those watching on as the all-time great emulated the achievements of fellow legends such as Pele and Diego Maradona.

WHAT TAYLOR-JOY SAID

Taylor-Joy was in California at the time, meaning that she faced an early-morning alarm call in order to catch a thrilling contest with France, and has told of being one of Messi’s many admirers: “I want to meet Messi. Also because I was in Los Angeles watching the World Cup and that moment, thank you for talking about that. I couldn’t sit down. I was walking like that (back and forth) and, yes, I woke up all my friends who watched it with me because it was, I think, at six in the morning in Los Angeles. It was a match!”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?

Messi is preparing to open another quest for international glory with the Albiceleste, as they look to defend their Copa America crown in 2024. There have also been suggestions that he will extend a record-breaking international career through to the 2026 World Cup finals that will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

أعرب لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة، رافينها، عن سعادته وذلك عقب الفوز على بلد الوليد في الدوري الإسباني.

وفاز برشلونة على نظيره بلد الوليد بنتيجة 7/0، في إطار منافسات الجولة الرابعة من الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم على ملعب “مونتجويك الأولمبي”.

وتمكن رافينها من تسجيل هاتريك في مباراة اليوم، أمام بلد الوليد للمرة الأولى في تاريخ اللاعب.

اقرأ أيضاً.. رجل مباراة برشلونة وبلد الوليد في الدوري الإسباني

وقال رافينها في تصريحات لشبكة “MyTV”: “لا أعرف إذا هذه أفضل مباراة في مسيرتي لكنها من الأفضل، أحاول أن أقدم كل ما لدي في كل مباراة، سجلت أول هاتريك في مسيرتي لي اليوم”.

وأضاف رافينها: “منذ أن عدت من العطلة، أعمل بجد وأحاول أن أقدم أفضل نسخة مني”.

وتابع: “أعتقد أن المباريات الماضية أثبتت أن الفريق لا يحتاج إلى لاعبين آخرين، ونتيجة اليوم تتحدث كثيرًا عنا”.

واختتم: “من المهم أن تسجل الأهداف وأن تُسجل الكثير ولكن مع احترام المنافس”.

Sunderland have performed well in the absence of a permanent manager following the sacking of Tony Mowbray, making it back-to-back victories in midweek thanks to Jobe Bellingham's late winner against Leeds United.

Still, as we approach the new year and the start of the January transfer window, the club and their supporters will want clarity over who will be in the dugout for the remainder of the Championship season and beyond.

Sunderland set to appoint Michael Beale

According to reports on Friday, Sunderland are closing in on the appointment of Michael Beale, who left Rangers earlier this season. The Black Cats will hope he can bring some of the ideas that saw him thrive at QPR to Wearside, despite a rocky campaign in Glasgow this time around.

However, speaking to Fotbollskanalen, in quotes translated by Sport Witness, Hammarby director of football Mikael Hjelmberg has revealed that he feared the allure of Sunderland would be too much for his new boss Kim Hellberg, and there was legitimate "concern" in Sweden that the Black Cats would win the race.

Hjelmberg regarded Hellberg as the "dream man" for the job, but says he was concerned when he learned of the Black Cats' interest: "I felt ‘Oh, wow’. There was some kind of concern, but I still thought [Hammarby would appoint him] because we had such an open and honest dialogue all the way.”

The Times reported last week that Sunderland would interview the 35-year-old over the vacancy at the Stadium of Light, but Hammarby jumped in and sealed the deal with the Scandinavian tactician this week.

Hellberg took on his first stint in management with Swedish top-flight club Varnamo at the start of 2022, leading them to a 10th place finish in his first season before an impressive ascent to fifth place in 2023. With the Allsvsenskan season operating according to the calendar year, Hellberg chose to part ways with Varnamo at the end of last month to pursue a new opportunity, and that caught the attention of Sunderland.

Sunderland missed out on an expert in player development

Hellberg would no doubt have been a bold appointment given his lack experience in British or indeed major European football, but it would also have been an exciting gamble.

In an interview with Fotboll Transfers, Jonathan Levi, who played for Norrkoping while Hellberg was an assistant coach, raved about the "absolutely perfect" coach. He sees him as a tactical mastermind whose expertise in positioning, the subtleties of movement and creating overloads developed him as a player.

"Kim is the coach who has taught me the most at senior level. When you’re young, of course you learn technical stuff, but that’s something else entirely.

"When it comes to after my elite career started, there is no one who has developed me more than Kim has done. He is incredibly good when it comes to how to position yourself, how to drive the ball, which shoulder to drive the ball towards in relation to the defenders, how to move in the box and how to get a four against three situation to be a three-on-two situation."

Now, for Sunderland, the attention turns to Beale and Saturday's trip to Bristol City, with caretaker boss Mike Dodds set to lead the team once again.

The batsman top-scored for Australia for the second-straight game to hand the visitors their first T20I series win over India

The Report by Sreshth Shah27-Feb-2019

Glenn Maxwell was “disappointed” at not staying unbeaten during Australia’s victory in the first T20I, and he made sure not to repeat that in the second. Coming in at 22 for two, Maxwell struck his third T20I century to chase down 191 in Bengaluru, and hand Australia their first bilateral T20I series win against the hosts.Chasing a target slightly above-par on a tricky pitch, Maxwell struck seven fours and nine sixes to top-score for Australia in back-to-back games. His unbeaten 55-ball 113 helped Australia cruise to victory with seven wickets in hand.That Maxwell had the liberty to play his shots was also down to the company that D’Arcy Short (40) gave him. Australia looked in trouble early on, having lost Marcus Stoinis and Aaron Finch cheaply once again, but the duo’s 73-run third-wicket stand brought Australia back.While Short found the boundary six times, it was Maxwell who brought out the fireworks. The proceedings started in the fifth over, when he top-edged a six off Jasprit Bumrah, and did not spare any of India’s other bowlers either.He paddled Vijay Shankar’s short balls over square leg, whipped Yuzvendra Chahal’s half-tracker over midwicket and crunched Krunal Pandya’s full balls through extra cover. Maxwell used his feet well too, shuffling across the stumps to keep India’s inexperienced bowling attack guessing, and reached his fifty in the 13th over with a nudge to midwicket.Australia still needed more than 11 per over with seven overs to go, and that’s when Maxwell brought out his bag of tricks. Consecutive sixes off Chahal in the 16th over took the wind out of India’s bowling attack, and when he drilled Bumrah for two fours in the 17th, victory looked imminent.With two overs to go, and only 14 runs to win, Maxwell jammed a yorker down to the leg side to bring up his third T20I hundred. And with that milestone ticked off, he clubbed Siddarth Kaul for a six over long-off and then flat-batted boundary to extra cover to bring up Australia’s victory.Virat Kohli acknowledges the applause after his 20th T20I fifty•Getty Images

Earlier in the day, KL Rahul’s blazing 40 had set the ball rolling for India after Shikhar Dhawan failed to find his timing. At 16 for no loss after three quiet overs, Rahul took on Jhye Richardson to collect consecutive sixes in a 15-run fifth over. If Rahul’s first six wasn’t quite convincing – a top-edged maximum – he oozed quality the next ball, nonchalantly lifting a wide ball over the extra-cover boundary.Rahul followed it up with back-to-back sixes off Pat Cummins, first a whip over midwicket followed by a pull behind square, to lift India to 53 for no loss after six. But he perished trying a ramp shot.That brought in Virat Kohli, but Rahul’s dismissal earned Australia two tidy overs. Dhawan, who was looking out of sorts with just one boundary in his knock, then tried to play an inside-out drive over cover, only to find Stoinis running in from the ropes. His 24-ball 14 was the primary reason why India were only at 73 for two after ten overs. When Rishabh Pant fell cheaply once again, trying to clear long-off, India’s projected score stood at 134.But in came MS Dhoni, criticised in some corners for his 37-ball 29 in the first T20I. He struck his sixth ball, off wristspinner Short, over midwicket before shellacking a boundary apiece over the next two overs. Balls that were short and wide were slapped over the infield, while anything on his toes was deposited to cow corner.With Dhoni finding his range, Kohli soon joined in. He began India’s late charge with a short-arm jab over Richardson in the 15th over, before creaming a hat-trick of sixes in the 16th. Nathan Coulter-Nile – Kohli’s team-mate at Royal Challengers Bangalore – found his first slower ball whipped to deep midwicket. Kohli then picked a wide ball outside off to club a six over extra cover. And the icing was the third six, which Kohli – in Dhoni style – muscled over long-on after skipping down the track.With three overs to go, India were still only at 138 for three. But Australia captain Finch’s decision to bowl Short for a third over tempted Dhoni to look for boundaries. He struck three, including two sixes, to extract 19 off the over, to move to 39.By then, Kohli had already reached his half-century and he started the 19th over with a lofted six to a ball that was nearly outside the wide-line. A smoking straight drive over the umpire’s end brought Richardson’s expensive spell (0 for 45) to a close.Cummins broke the 49-ball century stand in the 20th over, but conceded 15 runs off his final four deliveries to finish his spell with an economy of over 13. Dinesh Karthik struck two boundaries, and Kohli finished the innings with a six, to take India to a respectable 190. In their last six overs, India added 91 runs.In all, India’s right-handers struck 175 runs in 15 overs. Their left-handers, Dhawan and Pant, made just 15 in five, and it’s that discrepancy that may have cost India a series-levelling win on the evening.

Aside from the League Cup, Arsenal are currently fighting on all fronts this year, and while they might not be quite as free-flowing and easy on the eye as they were last season, Mikel Arteta's men have looked more defensively astute, mature and intentional in their matches this campaign.

However, a defeat to Aston Villa last time out in the Premier League has slowed them down somewhat following their last-gasp winner against Luton Town last week.

The Gunners didn't deserve to win at Villa Park on Saturday, but they might've claimed at least a point with a clinical finisher in the team, as they had registered an expected goal value of 1.47 to their hosts' 0.66 – but they just couldn't put the ball in the back of the net.

So fans should be delighted with the latest player linked to the Emirates, a striker who could turn Bukayo Saka into an assist machine, and someone who has already expressed his desire to join the club, Ivan Toney.

Arsenal transfer news – Ivan Toney

According to transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Brentford's star striker is keen to move to a top club in 2024 and has expressed his excitement and desire to join Arsenal specifically.

Talking on Kick, the Italian journalist said: “From what I’m hearing, this is one more detail on Ivan Toney, this is a rumour I’m hearing that his preference in terms of a top club move in January or the summer would be to go to Arsenal.

"From what I’m hearing Ivan Toney could be really excited by the possibility of joining Arsenal.”

The former Newcastle United forward has been linked to the club in the past, but this development is a massive boost for the Gunners should they choose to pursue Toney.

However, the most significant barrier to signing the 27-year-old "monster", as described by his manager Thomas Frank, will be the price, as Sky Sports report that it will take at least £100m to secure his signature – although, for a player who scored 20 league goals last season, he might just be worth it.

Ivan Toney could supercharge Bukayo Saka

Now, the addition of Toney into this Arsenal team would instantly make them a far more worrying proposition for opposing teams, as the one-cap Englishman would likely craft his own chances with the sheer level of talent around him.

However, his clinical finishing and poacher sensibilities would help turn his teammates into assist machines, especially someone like Saka.

Arsenal could sign a £53m "special talent" instead of Douglas Luiz

The young Spaniard could be a better fit for Arsenal.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Dec 11, 2023

The Hale End graduate racked up 11 league assists last season – despite Gabriel Jesus missing chunks of the campaign through injury – and he has already registered six in the league this season, so just imagine the numbers he could produce with a number nine solely focused on finding space and finishing chances.

Furthermore, the underlying numbers of the "future icon", as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, all point towards a player calling out for more efficient players around him.

Ultimately, if Arsenal want to reach that next level and win the Premier League and Champions League, they will need an out-and-out goalscorer in the team, and Toney would be precisely that.

It also helps that his presence would likely unlock another level to Saka's game and truly set him on the path to becoming one of the best players in the world.

The Manchester United faithful will be hopeful that the new year provides an opportunity for change following the 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest.

Erik ten Hag’s side have now lost the same number of games in the Premier League as they did in the whole of last season: nine.

The Red Devils are off the pace in the race for the top four, and therefore recruitment in January is a must.

Man Utd transfers latest – Antonio Silva

According to journalist Rudy Galetti, many top clubs admire Antonio Silva, with Man Utd being one of them.

The defender is contracted to Benfica until 2027, but he has an £87m release clause.

Silva is a key player for the Portuguese side, and due to financial fair play guidelines, a move this January is unlikely.

Antonio Silva’s style of play

It is well known that injuries have disrupted United’s season, with even Ten Hag referring to them as a reason why his side has been so inconsistent, and one of those players who unfortunately cannot provide reliability or availability is Raphael Varane, who has already missed seven games this season.

Therefore, Ten Hag could look to replace the World Cup winner with a talented 20-year-old who has been described as “crazy” by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig. Silva became a vital cog in the Benfica system last season, and over the last 18 months, he has developed into an incredible prospect, someone who more than has the potential to live up to Varane's name in the game.

The table below proves that via statistics from this season’s Primeira Liga, and how they compare to his positional peers.

Antonio Silva's 2023/24 Primeira Liga stats

Stats (per 90)

Silva

Percentile

Pass completion %

92.7%

Top 1%

Pass completion % (long)

74.2%

Top 1%

Tackles won

1.93

Top 1%

Dribblers tackled

1.36

Top 8%

Carries

42.32

Top 19%

Ball recoveries

6.79

Top 6%

Stats via FBref

As you can see, Silva is extremely confident and comfortable on the ball, and with Ten Hag persisting with playing out from the back, the Portugal international would fit the Dutch manager's system like a glove.

The Red Devils have been wasteful in possession this campaign, therefore, signing a defender who has such high pass completion percentages across a variety of ranges would elevate the side's ability to control periods.

Furthermore, the Benfica Acadamy star’s long passing is particularly impressive, and he could aid United going forward by playing direct diagonal passes to Marcus Rashford, in a similar way to how Virgil Van Dijk starts attacks by finding Mohammed Salah on the right at Liverpool.

Silva can also carry the ball forward, which not only helps United in the buildup phase but can also be useful against a low block.

United’s biggest issue this season has been defending transitions and cutbacks, with the majority of their goals coming from that exact scenario. The addition of Silva would decrease this slightly, due to the defender's ability to read the cutbacks if the attack is on the opposite side or quickly get out to the forward on the ball and stop the pass.

Overall, Silva has the potential to become a world-class defender based on all the signs so far, and he fits the correct profile for the right centre-back role at United. Varane unfortunately, with his injuries, does not. The fee is steep, however, which will naturally add even more pressure to perform straight away, and his little experience could cost him if he were to make the switch.

Members of the Bangladesh team were just “about 50 yards from the mosque”, which was the site of one of two terror attacks in Christchurch on Friday morning that resulted in multiple fatalities, Khaled Mashud, the team manager, told reporters at the team hotel. The third and final Test match of the series was cancelled following the incidents.”This was a kind of accident that we would never expect nor want in any part of the world,” Mashud said. “We are very lucky because we had a number of us, about 17 of us, in the bus. Soumya Sarkar was also there, and we were all heading to the mosque for prayers. Only two of the players [Liton Das and Nayeem Hasan, as well as Sunil Joshi, the spin-bowling coach] had stayed back in the hotel, and rest of the squad had gone there. We were very close to the mosque, and we could see from the bus. We must have been about 50 yards from the mosque.”I would say we were really lucky. Had we reached even three or four minutes earlier, we probably would have been inside the mosque. This could then have been a massive incident. We are very thankful that we weren’t caught in the crossfire, but what we saw was straight out of a movie scene. We could see bloodstained people staggering out of the mosque. Maybe for about eight-ten minutes, we were all inside the bus and were sitting with our heads bowed, just in case someone fires at us.”The team was initially barred from leaving the bus, but after a while, they disembarked and ran through Hagley Park to the ground. They later went back to the team hotel.”When we realised that the shooters could have inflicted more damage if they had found us inside the bus all at once, we took a collective decision to escape through the back gate,” Mashud said. “We ran or quickly walked out through that gate. Then we were in the dressing room, and the local liaison people explained to us how we could get out of there most safely to our hotel. It wasn’t their fault, they tried their best according to whatever they are used to in their culture. Our players supported them a lot, with inputs on what was needed at that point of time. Our decision to get out was timely, because in videos we saw that people came out and kept shooting later.”All said and done, I think we are grateful that the team is all healthy and in the hotel. Those back in Bangladesh must be worried about our well-being. I think the players are okay, and the Test has been cancelled. They have told us and will send an official mail by 6:30 in the evening. Our plan to return has also been chalked out with the people in charge of logistics.”The board has been in communication with us, not just with me, but also the captain Mahmudullah and Tamim [Iqbal] and coach [Steve Rhodes]. I would like to thank the cricket board for monitoring the situation and giving us their inputs. I hope everything will be fine, and I would like to thank the New Zealand cricket board, for how they have carefully brought us to the hotel. This incident has nothing to do with cricket, and it is unfortunate both as a cricketer and a human being to have witnessed this. We want to play cricket, and it is unfortunate that this accident is causing us to pull out of a Test match.”The players and others, understandably, are shaken by the experience, as some of their earlier tweets showed.”It is natural to be affected. When you see something like a terror attack in front of you, and you see blood spilled in front of you, this will affect any human being,” Mashud said. “It wouldn’t have occurred to us then that we would be safe later. Some of the boys inside the bus were crying as well, because they were all worried about how to get out of there.”At this point, it is important not to leave the hotel, because an incident like this can happen anywhere. We don’t want to carry any memories of this incident. We have briefed everybody to have dinner at the hotel itself today onwards. All the players are together in one room, and trying our best to distract ourselves by talking about other things. Ultimately, everybody ends up talking about what they saw, but we are lucky that if the players had either gotten off the bus later or gone to the mosque earlier, it would have been difficult to get out of there. When we were able to get out of there, it was because of the collective effort of the players. I would thank the players for caring for themselves so well.”The Bangladesh team will take a flight from Christchurch at midday on Saturday and arrive in Dhaka in the evening.

Arsenal are enjoying another fruitful season of football this campaign, and despite falling to defeat at the hands of Aston Villa last weekend and drawing 1-1 away to PSV during the week, Mikel Arteta's men are just a point off top spot in the Premier League and through to the knockout rounds of the Champions League.

Much of the Gunners' success this year has been built off of a steely defence and dogged midfield, with the free-flowing attacks of last season not quite there yet.

However, with the January transfer window fast approaching, the north Londoners have the opportunity to add some more firepower to their attack, and it looks as if they might just do that.

Arsenal could sign "one of the best centre backs in the world" to partner Saliba

The 24-year-old could make Arsenal’s defence even better.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Dec 14, 2023

The latest player to be linked with a move to the Emirates is a striker who has already played in England and has been likened to Rasmus Hojlund: Moise Kean.

Arsenal transfer news – Moise Kean

According to reports from Italy (via TEAMtalk), Arsenal's desire to sign a new striker in 2024 could lead them to pursue the Juventus forward and former Everton striker.

The Italian attacker has been plying his trade with the Old Lady for a few years now, mostly on loan, but officially rejoined the side in March of this year for a fee in the region of £25m.

His time at Everton wasn't great, with just four goals coming from his 39 games, but in Turin, he has shown some of the form that got him the move to Merseyside in the first place, scoring eight times in all competitions last season.

The Gunners would be unlikely to get a discount on that valuation.

However, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig lauding Kean as a "huge talent", £25m might still prove to be value for money in the long run, especially given the price Hojlund went for in the summer – a striker similar to the Juve man.

Moise Kean could be Arsenal's Rasmus Højlund

Now, there might be some trepidation among Arsenal fans that a player who just couldn't get to grips with English football only a few years ago would be a poor signing to make during a title charge, and there is some validity in that thought process.

However, even in his backup role at Juventus, Kean has shown that there is a great player in there and that he could become a brilliant striker with the right coaching – potentially from Arteta.

He compares quite well to several very talented strikers across Europe as well, with FBref including Dominic Solanke, Dusan Vlahovic and Hojlund among the ten most similar.

The Danish number nine hasn't actually opened his Premier League account just yet, but based on his performances, he really should have – having netted on five occasions during United's ultimately flawed Champions League run.

The £72m marksman certainly showcased his undoubted potential in European competition and is evidently a work in progress for Erik ten Hag's side, someone who could well blossom at Old Trafford over the coming years.

Such is his talent, the 20-year-old even gave Gabriel a run around in Arsenal's 3-1 victory over the Red Devils earlier this season, subsequently being hailed for his "aggressive" display by pundit Gary Neville.

So how do Kean's underlying numbers stack up to the former Atalanta man's? Quite well, it turns out.

The "fearless" 23-year-old, as described by Thomas Tuchel, comes out on top in several key metrics, such as non-penalty expected goals and assists, progressive passes, goal-creating actions, tackles and interceptions, and even aerial duels.

Ultimately, Kean is clearly not the finished article, like Hojlund, but if he came into an Arsenal team that is on the up with a manager who has proven his ability to work with young players, then this could be a transfer in which everybody wins.

Harbhajan Singh led the way with the wickets of Kohli, Moeen and de Villiers, while Tahir took 3-9 as RCB were shot out for the sixth lowest IPL total

The Report by Sidharth Monga23-Mar-20191:57

FIve reasons why CSK beat RCB

Chennai Super Kings’ publicity teams like to call the MA Chidambaram Stadium the “lion’s den”, but no one advertised the minefield that awaited the season opener for this IPL. Royal Challengers Bangalore walked in unsuspectingly, picking in all their innocence just the two spinners whereas Super Kings were stacked with three spinners plus two part-time spinners. As it happened, between them the Super Kings spinners took eight wickets, the highest such number in IPL, and Royal Challengers were bowled out for 70, the sixth-lowest score in IPL history.Not just the management, Royal Challengers’ batsmen also misread the conditions and didn’t adjust their par total on the fly. Despite spin’s role early in the innings, they still kept going for big shots as opposed to looking to bat through the innings. It was a failing AB de Villiers himself admitted to in an on-field interview during the chase; a ball after he was dropped in the field, he perished trying to hit a six.This failure to adjust would have hurt Royal Challengers all the more when they saw even the Super Kings batsmen struggle. Another spinner or another 30 runs, and who knows?We’ve been expecting you, Mr SinghSince he last played for Super Kings in the first qualifier of last year’s IPL, Harbhajan Singh had played only three Twenty20 games for no wicket. To accommodate him – zero T20 wickets to his name in the last 10 months – Super Kings sat Faf du Plessis out and played only three overseas players. Whether it was the pitch or the abundance of left-hand batsmen in the Royal Challengers’ line-up, only Dhoni can tell.With Deepak Chahar bowling a tight spell at the other end, Harbhajan took out the cream of Royal Challengers’ batting: Virat Kohli, Moeen Ali and de Villiers. Only for the third time in the IPL, the first eight overs were bowled out by just two bowlers. Chahar kept it tight with figures of 4-0-17-0, and Harbhajan did the damage with 4-0-20-3.CSK celebrate with Harbhajan Singh after his wickets•BCCI

In the fourth over, Kohli fell to the frustration of dot balls and holed out to deep midwicket. Moeen got one that stopped on him and bounced. At the start of the eight over, de Villiers went to sweep Harbhajan, only for the top edge to be dropped by Imran Tahir at fine leg. The next ball was slightly short, and de Villiers went for the pull, giving Ravindra Jadeja his second catch. Royal Challengers 38 for 3.Hetmyer’s nervesThere was a lot of anticipation around the debut of Shimron Hetmyer, who has made himself a name for being a power hitter against spin. He had a different job today, but the nerves were palpable. He began his day at the non-striker’s end, and failed to send Parthiv Patel back when there was no single available.He survived this one, but two balls later he pushed the ball straight to short cover and ran off. Parthiv was having none of it, and Hetmyer was run out for a duck on debut. Royal Challengers 39 for 4 in eight overs.Tahir runs amokQuite literally. The pitch offered him prodigious turn, and Imran Tahir was nigh unplayable with his wicked concoction of fast legbreaks, wrong ‘uns and flippers. He took wickets with his second, seventh and 16th balls, and ran all over the MA Chidambaram Stadium in celebration. He had figures of 4-1-9-3 at the end.Ravindra Jadeja at the other end was not half bad, getting Colin de Grandhomme caught at the wicket and flattening Umesh Yadav’s off stump. Parthiv came close to registering a dubious distinction – for the team – of carrying his bat, but was the last man out, caught at square leg off the first ball from Dwayne Bravo. Nonetheless, he was the only man to enter double figures.Minor scare but Rayudu anchors chaseRoyal Challengers had no choice but to look for wickets and use spin to that end. They opened with Yuzvendra Chahal, who sent Shane Watson back for a duck. This was a difficult pitch, it was plain to see. Ambati Rayudu, though, batted smartly, picking his targets – often pace – and did enough to see his side through. There was enough time for Suresh Raina to get 19 and become the first man to 5000 IPL runs.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are in the market to add some quality additions this month and have now opened talks with an experienced Premier League operator who could arrive before the end of the window, according to a report.

Wolves scour the market…

The month of January can sometimes prove to be a complex time for clubs looking to seal deals; however, the Old Gold have already completed one developmental signing in the form of Fletcher Holman, who joins from National League South outfit Eastbourne Borough and will link up with Wolves' Under-21 set-up.

Academy chief Jon Hunter-Barrett has shared his delight at being able to bring Holman to the West Midlands, stating via the club's official website: "Once again our recruitment team have done a fantastic job in unearthing a talent playing in non-league football who is capable to come into our building.

"The big thing with Wolves is we’re a football club and academy that provides opportunities for players who have been here a long time and also players who have come from a different environment into ours."

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.

ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

Nonetheless, Gary O'Neil will be keen to acquire players equipped to join his first-team squad and contribute for the remainder of the campaign. Financial prudence is a central feature of the Old Gold's approach to the mid-season market and Paris Saint-Germain outcast Hugo Ekitike is reportedly a target to add some offensive impetus in the final third.

Conversely, new information has come to light claiming that a striker with significantly more experience could instead be brought in to spearhead O'Neils's attack.

Wolves open Danny Ings talks…

According to Football Insider, Wolves have opened talks with West Ham United over a loan deal for striker Danny Ings, who has fallen out of favour at the London Stadium. The Old Gold are believed to be in the market for a poacher after letting Sasa Kalajdzic move to Eintracht Frankfurt this month.

Danny Ings' career goals – club level (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

390

Goals

123

Assists

39

Danny Ings' international record

England – 3 appearances, 1 goal

England Under-21 – 14 appearances, 3 goals

Hwang-hee Chan has departed for the Asian Cup and left a void to be filled at the top end of the field; nevertheless, Wolves don't have the financial muscle available to bring in a permanent reinforcement and have turned to Ings as a known operator with goalscoring ability. If he arrives at Molineux, they will need to cover his wages and pay a loan fee for his services.

Labelled "brilliant" by former teammate Matty Cash, the 31-year-old has made 18 appearances across all competitions this season, though he is yet to put himself on the goal trail.

Despite this, his record over the course of his career speaks for itself and Ings would be an ideal short-term solution for Wolves as they look to maintain their impressive exploits in the Premier League.